June 19, 2008
How can any review of Garsington Opera not begin by singing the praises of the setting? On a cloudless evening such as tonight it made for one of the most enchanting operatic experiences I can remember. The atmosphere beforehand was both relaxed and buzzing, as guests ambled peaceably around the large semi-formal gardens, looking forward to the coming entertainment but content in the knowledge that their immediate future held nothing more demanding than several leisurely glasses of champagne.
Finally the hour came, and all converged on the compact auditorium nestled unobtrusively against a corner of the manor house. The set accentuated the asymmetry of the surroundings, with an angled gilt picture frame buried stage left by the house, while stage right dissolved into the adjacent flower garden. The orchestra was hidden from view, so that it was heard solely by reflection rather than direct from instrument to ear – a practice Wagner instituted at Bayreuth and which gives the voices a sense of foreground immediacy over the orchestra, irrespective of relative volume levels. This alone more than made up for any acoustic deficiencies in resonance or ambient (wind!) noise.
And so to the performance – which was excellent, quite the equal, or superior, of any number of touring companies’ Oxford productions in recent years.
All main roles were wonderfully cast. Tom Rakewell’s (Robert Murray’s) soft features and slightly shambling gait were an ideal foil to Anne Trulove’s (Sinéad Campbell’s) lively determination and erect posture, although his slightly tight voice could never reach the rich depth of Nick Shadow’s (Christopher Purves’) silken deceipts. Nonetheless, he believably projected some central strand of integrity throughout the opera, despite his rapid descent into self-indulgent vice. Susan Bickley had great fun with the role of Baba the Turk, while Stephen Richardson brought surprising charisma to the role of the worthy and sensible father Trulove. All capitalised on the small auditorium’s opportunities for subtle, naturalistic acting and establishing close rapport with the audience. The orchestra was polished, but special mention must go to the harpsichord continuo (Nicholas Bosworth), that brought out such humour and menace from Stravinsky’s score.
The choreography was outstanding. Inventive use was made of the modest resources, and the production difficulties of such an ad hoc setting (such as scene changes made in full view of the audience) were seized and used to great effect; this is an openly self-aware, inter-textual opera, and as such lends itself to any and all de-mystification. This was an inspired production, and I dearly hope its life continues beyond the five remaining showings of the current Garsington season.
Finally the hour came, and all converged on the compact auditorium nestled unobtrusively against a corner of the manor house. The set accentuated the asymmetry of the surroundings, with an angled gilt picture frame buried stage left by the house, while stage right dissolved into the adjacent flower garden. The orchestra was hidden from view, so that it was heard solely by reflection rather than direct from instrument to ear – a practice Wagner instituted at Bayreuth and which gives the voices a sense of foreground immediacy over the orchestra, irrespective of relative volume levels. This alone more than made up for any acoustic deficiencies in resonance or ambient (wind!) noise.
And so to the performance – which was excellent, quite the equal, or superior, of any number of touring companies’ Oxford productions in recent years.
All main roles were wonderfully cast. Tom Rakewell’s (Robert Murray’s) soft features and slightly shambling gait were an ideal foil to Anne Trulove’s (Sinéad Campbell’s) lively determination and erect posture, although his slightly tight voice could never reach the rich depth of Nick Shadow’s (Christopher Purves’) silken deceipts. Nonetheless, he believably projected some central strand of integrity throughout the opera, despite his rapid descent into self-indulgent vice. Susan Bickley had great fun with the role of Baba the Turk, while Stephen Richardson brought surprising charisma to the role of the worthy and sensible father Trulove. All capitalised on the small auditorium’s opportunities for subtle, naturalistic acting and establishing close rapport with the audience. The orchestra was polished, but special mention must go to the harpsichord continuo (Nicholas Bosworth), that brought out such humour and menace from Stravinsky’s score.
The choreography was outstanding. Inventive use was made of the modest resources, and the production difficulties of such an ad hoc setting (such as scene changes made in full view of the audience) were seized and used to great effect; this is an openly self-aware, inter-textual opera, and as such lends itself to any and all de-mystification. This was an inspired production, and I dearly hope its life continues beyond the five remaining showings of the current Garsington season.
